Aching Heart
by loanshark
Summary: Fuji searches for a true friend. Contains insights into Fuji's past with Yuuta, Eiji and Tezuka. Happy Ending!


**Title: **Aching Heart

**Genre: **General, Slight Angst

**Rating: **G

**Warnings and Disclaimer:** Not everything here is canon, although I have tried to stick as closely as possible to the events chronicled in the manga. Some, though, are my own speculation. Tennis no Ohjisama and its characters do not belong to me but to Takeshi Konomi.

**Summary: **Fuji searches for a true friend. Contains insights into Fuji's past with Yuuta, Eiji and Tezuka.

* * *

Once, a long time ago, when Fuji Syusuke was a young boy, his father would tell him a story. Now this story wasn't your usual story filled with captured princesses and daring knights. No; this story was so different that the young Fuji fell in love with it the minute he heard it.

Back in those days, Syusuke, being the "older brother", was allowed to stay up later than Yuuta. To be certain, it was only for about 15 minutes more. But it was enough for Syusuke to climb into his father's lap and beg him to tell "THAT story", and his father, with a deep laugh, would carry the young boy up to his room and settle down on the bed, with Syusuke resting his little head on his father's broad chest.

Then his father would speak, and his great voice would vibrate through Syusuke's body.

"Once, a long time ago, there was a little boy. This boy was no ordinary boy like you and your younger brother; he didn't live in a house in a city like you two do. No; he stayed deep within a jungle, where the trees grew very very tall and the leaves which floated to the ground whenever the wind paid a visit were bigger than the boy's own two small hands placed side by side.

"The boy lived here with his mother and father, and they were a happy family. His father taught him many things about the plants and the trees and he knew how to find food to eat and never grow hungry. His mother showed him all the animals that stayed with them in the jungle, and he knew which to avoid and which to befriend, a skill which he used greatly. It wasn't long before the boy had many little animal friends whom he could have fun with.

"It was a perfect life, but one day the little boy felt sad. Of course, having never been sad before, he didn't know what it was that he felt, save a weird aching in his heart. So he went up to his father and pulled on his father's hand until the older man picked him up and placed him on his broad shoulders. Then he asked:

"'Father, there is something aching in my heart, and it won't go away. Can you tell me what it is?'

"'Maybe you are ill,' his father replied. 'Now take these leaves and brew a tea, drink it, and you'll feel much better.'

"The little boy went off and did as he was told, but the ache in his heart still would not go away. So he went up to his mother and tugged on her arm until she lifted him up into her lap. The he asked:

"'Mother, there is something aching in my heart, and it won't go away. Can you tell me what it is?'

"'Maybe you haven't been sleeping enough,' his mother replied. 'Now, go and call a bluebird and have it sing you to sleep, and you'll feel much better.'

"The little boy went off and did as he was told, but the ache in his heart did not leave the next day. So he went to gather all his animal friends, and when they were all with him, he asked:

"'There is something aching in my heart, and it won't go away. Can any of you tell me what it is?'

"Now animals are intelligent creatures, and these knew very well what the little boy was asking them. They pranced around him and played with him and tried to ease the ache. But soon the little boy realised that the ache would not go away, and the animals, too, ceased their antics when they produced no results.

"The little boy soon realised that there would be no answer to his question, and soon the aching in his heart grew stronger, and stronger, and there remained no way to cure it.

"Then one day…"

"The other little boy came!" Syusuke would interrupt happily at this point.

Syusuke's father would chuckle, and cuddle his son. "Yes, another little boy came into the jungle. This little boy had come on a trip, and wandering around, had chanced upon this house in the jungle. Being curious, he walked up to the door and knocked.

"The door swung open, and there stood the family of three. Father just stared at the boy, wide-eyed. Mother placed her hand over her mouth in surprise. But the little boy gasped, and then shouted happily, 'It's another little boy, just like me!'

"For the rest of that day the two little boys sat together on the ground and talked. Time passed by quickly around them, and soon the trees were casting long dark shadows on the ground. It was at this point that the newcomer stood up and brushed his shorts down.

"'I have to go now,' he said to the first little boy. 'My father will worry if I am away for too long.'

"'Will you come back?' the first little boy asked, feeling, at this point, the acute ache in his heart.

"'Of course I will,' was the easy reply, and then the newcomer disappeared into the jungle.

"The next morning, the little boy came out of his house at dawn and sat on the ground, waiting. No more than fifteen minutes had passed when he heard the bushes rustle in warning, and then the other little boy was before him. The first little boy got up with a cry of joy, and a shout of 'you came!'

"The newcomer smiled brightly at him. 'I said I would, didn't I?' was his carefree reply.

"Over the course of a week, the two little boys began to learn more about each other. The second little boy actually lived in a city, far far away, and had come into the jungle on a camping trip with his family. He told the first little boy all about his home, and in return, the first little boy taught him about the plants and the animals around them.

"They spent all their waking hours together, and on the evening of the fifth day, as the second little boy disappeared into the jungle, the first little boy found, to his astonishment, that the ache in his heart was no longer there.

"It was on the sixth day that the second little boy turned to the first and said, 'I'm going back to the city tomorrow.'

"The first little boy shook his head in alarm. 'No, you can't!' he cried. 'If you do, my heart will hurt again!' And in response to the question on the other's features, he began to describe the aching of his heart.

"When the tale ended, the second little boy sat and thought for a while, and then he said, 'I think that you were feeling sad and lonely, since you didn't have anyone to play with. But we're friends now, right? So even when I go away, your heart shouldn't hurt anymore, because I'll always be your friend, and I promise I'll come back, ok?'

"The first little boy nodded, with his heart at peace, and that evening he watched as his friend disappeared into the jungle for the last time…"

Syusuke's father would always trail off at this point, leaving the young boy to ask, "Did the friend ever return?"

His father would chuckle gently. "That's for you to decide, Syusuke. Now, it's bed time, so go to sleep, ok?" Then he would tuck the young boy into bed and kiss him on his forehead, before leaving the room quietly.

It really was a long time ago, Fuji reflected as he walked to school one morning in the fifteenth year of his life. It had been a long time since his father had decided all three children were old enough to give their mother lesser trouble, and had gone back to spending long periods of time overseas because of job responsibilities. It had been a long time since the last year when he and Yuuta had had different bed times. It had been a long time since he had last climbed into his father's lap to hear the beloved story.

But it hadn't been so long that he had forgotten the story itself, or its lack of an ending.

He often wondered if his father had meant for the story to be exclusively his, for as far as he knew, neither Yuuta nor his neesan had heard of it. Whatever his father's intentions, however, it soon became Fuji Syusuke's habit to compare the first little boy in the story with himself. And no matter how old he was when he made this comparison, he would always find himself wondering:

'When is the other little boy going to appear?'

* * *

The first time he thought he found the answer to his question was in his elementary school days. Back then, it was his otouto, Yuuta, who had been his primary companion, and his most important playmate. It was Yuuta whom he spent his days with playing and studying, bickering and teasing. It was Yuuta whom he comforted when thunder roared and lightning flashed overhead, and Yuuta whom he turned to whenever the need arose.

He thought that Yuuta would always stay with him – would always remain his friend. He thought he would never have to ask that sad, important question that the little boy he identified with had asked.

With all his tensai abilities and his natural skill of reading people, he never realised that he would soon be the owner of such a large store of mistaken impressions.

The day Yuuta left home, Syusuke just stood at the door behind him, watching as he opened it casually, as though he was just leaving for the day and would return come nightfall. Inside of him, his heart was screaming in pain. It wasn't right! Yuuta wasn't supposed to leave just like that! He was supposed to promise to return! Promise to be his friend! Promise to keep the ache in his heart away for good!

His soul was breaking, but Fuji Syusuke just planted a smile onto his face, opened his cerulean eyes and asked, "You're going now, Yuuta?"

And the only reply he received was a stiff, angry "Ah", before the door slammed shut and blocked him from Yuuta forever.

* * *

The second time he thought he found the answer was when he entered Seishun Gakuen a mere two years previously. Back then, he was a Year One in a brand new school, and he joined the hundreds of other Year Ones in finding out what his class was. Scanning the lists for his name, he finally found it above all the heads in front of him.

"1-6," he muttered, and was turning to squeeze his way out of the crowd, when a shout from his right caused him to turn.

"_Nya_, everyone's so tall!" came the loud cry. "_Nya_…let me in!"

General laughter arose from that direction, and Fuji saw a glimpse of red bouncing hair framing a round face. With a slight shrug, he continued out of the mass of people, and towards the corridor to find his classroom. He didn't exactly want to be stuck in a situation of noisy messes on the first day of school.

Finally finding his classroom, he slid into a table next to the open window and waited for the day to start, all the while staring dreamily at the Sakura tree outside. It was in the midst of spring, and the Sakura flowers were just blooming, causing the pink and green of the tree to contrast beautifully with the clear blue sky…

"Ohayou, _nya_!" A cheery voice suddenly chirped in his ear, causing him to open his eyes and turn around, startled. A mop of unruly red hair met his eyes, and its owner spoke again. "I'm Kikumaru Eiji, _nya_, but you can call me Eiji! What's your name?"

"Fuji Syusuke…" Fuji replied, still startled. In all the years of his admittedly short life, he had never met anyone as sociable or hyper as this boy, and he didn't quite know how to react.

"Fuji, _nya_? Ok…can I sit next to you, Fuji?" Not even waiting for the other's bewildered nod, he sat himself down and continued talking without missing a beat. "I'm so excited, _nya_! I've heard so much about this school, and my oneesan and oniisan all came here as well! I hope they have a tennis club – do you play tennis, Fuji? If you do we can join the club together, _nya_! That'd be cool! Oh and…"

The monologue went on as Fuji sat there, bemused and trying to take it all in, and only stopped when their sensei finally stepped into class, several minutes late from attending a staff meeting on the first day of school.

That event chronicled the meeting of Fuji Syusuke and Kikumaru Eiji, and also highlighted the beginning of their friendship. As the days went by and Fuji stayed in Kikumaru's presence for a longer and longer time, he began to enjoy the genki boy's infectious cheerfulness and overall childishness more and more. It was like having another otouto, except that this one was actually almost a year older than himself – and acted infinitely less mature.

But Kikumaru's energy and devotion to their friendship caused Fuji to once again dream of that childhood story, and think that he had finally found someone to fill that second little boy's role – until Oishi Syuichiro started to capture Kikumaru's attention away.

It happened the day that Kikumaru first heard about Oishi. "Oishi's nothing! His skills are nothing fancy, but I heard he's reserve for the practice match," a friend of Kikumaru's had said as they got ready for practice that day. "It must be because he's always following Tezuka around!"

"Hoi hoi! Then let's show him what tennis is really about!" Kikumaru had said with a slight cackle in his voice. "I'll punish him with my acrobatic play!"

Fuji heard all this as he walked behind the rowdier group with a slight smile. Everyone knew about Tezuka – it would have been hard not to know about the Year One who had defeated almost every sempai, including Yamato-buchou; who had infuriated another sempai to the point of violence, and who had almost quit the tennis club. But fewer, if any at all, knew about Oishi, Tezuka's little shadow. However, the fact that he hung around Tezuka and seemed to be the only one whose company Tezuka enjoyed was enough to send some of their year mates into jealous fits.

Even from the time Tezuka Kunimitsu first entered the school, he was nothing if not charismatic.

But Fuji knew more than most. Both Tezuka and Oishi had caught his interest since they all entered the club – Tezuka because of his tennis prowess, and Oishi because of his character. For Fuji had seen how it had been Oishi who had stopped Tezuka in the middle of their run, and how Oishi's words had helped in preventing Tezuka from leaving. If there was someone out there who could convince a person as headstrong as Tezuka, then he definitely merited Fuji's attention.

So Fuji observed Oishi's actions, and Fuji observed Oishi's tennis – and Fuji knew that even with Kikumaru's acrobatics, the chances of Oishi winning the match was high…

The regulars weren't around that day, having gone for a practice match in another school, and the others were free to do as they pleased after their usual warm-up. So it was that as Oishi watched Tezuka play against yet another hopeful sempai, Kikumaru bounced up to him and demanded a match.

Fuji's keen eyes noted that Tezuka's movements stilled for the slightest second, before continuing as per normal. And Fuji inwardly smirked at the Ice King's interest in Oishi's doings.

Outwardly, though, Fuji just kept up his smile as he followed the other two onto another court, and then proceeded to offer himself as the scorekeeper.

Kikumaru accepted with a cheerful "hoi hoi!" Oishi nodded and smiled. And Fuji, upon turning, grinned at the opportunity to watch this match up close.

The match started, and quickly Kikumaru pulled ahead to three games to love. But Fuji could tell that the boy was not happy – for he was used to defeating most Year Ones in a much shorter time. Many were stunned by his agility and style of tennis, and that shock was more than enough to ensure that he won the match. But Oishi was different, and Kikumaru could not understand why.

And then Oishi spoke up. "Your movements are really surprising…I just can't predict them! Say, do you want to play doubles with me?"

Fuji's eyes widened at the comment. Kikumaru himself laughed contemptuously. "What are you saying? It's your moves that are too normal and easy to predict!" And then he threw the tennis ball into the air and served.

Fuji's keen eyes observed the rest of the match with interest. He watched how Oishi began to return Kikumaru's hits more accurately, and how he fought back. And when the game finally ended, Fuji couldn't help but smile truthfully as he called out "Game! 6-4 to Oishi!"

Oishi smiled in delight and began to walk towards the net to shake hands with Kikumaru. But the latter was still standing shell-shocked in his original position. "What! I _lost_ to this guy? Impossible! Hey, that was just a warm-up! Let's play one more game, and this time I will beat you!"

Oishi paused, looking bewildered. "I…don't mind," came the stunned reply. Fuji just sighed quietly as he called for the game to start. He should have known that this was coming.

But no matter how many times they played, Kikumaru could not defeat Oishi. And the combination of his taxing tennis style and his own poor stamina was too much for the boy to bear. By the end of the third game he was panting, with his hands on his knees, and Fuji would stand for no more. A quick leap brought the honey-haired boy out of the scorekeeper's seat, and he quickly strode to the tired boy.

"Eiji," he spoke firmly, and saw the other's shoulder's tense slightly at the call.

A few minutes passed before Kikumaru looked up with a strained smile. "_Nya_, Fuji, I can still play, so can you go back and be…"

"Eiji," Fuji cut in, and this time he opened his eyes for greater effect. Kikumaru had already been let into Fuji's life, and would consequently know what those opened eyes meant – as Fuji knew. And the latter was not wrong, for a brief look of resignation flashed across the red-head's face before it was quickly followed by an expression of annoyance.

"Fine!" he snapped, then turned to Oishi. "But don't think this is over! I'm going to beat you tomorrow, so just you wait!" And with a last glare at Fuji, he stormed off.

"Eiji!" Fuji called after him, worried, but the acrobatic player neither slowed down nor turned back. With a slight sigh, Fuji turned to meet the gaze of a worried Oishi. He sighed to himself again. He would have to apologise to Eiji later – in the mean time, however, there were more urgent matters to take care of.

Smiling closed-eyed at Oishi, he began to explain. "I'm sorry about that, but Eiji gets tired very easily, so he usually can't play for long. But don't worry about it – he recovers very quickly too. He'll be fine in ten minutes or so."

The other didn't look too convinced. "Are you sure?" he asked, anxiety lacing his tone.

Fuji managed to smile reassuringly at him, even though he felt slightly miffed. "Of course I'm sure – I've played against him many times myself. Now if you'll please excuse me…" he turned and quickly strode off in the direction that Kikumaru had gone, hoping to catch up with his temperamental friend.

But by then Kikumaru was no where to be found, and Fuji only saw him the next morning, when the red-head came bouncing into class, managing to look both excited and contrite at the same time.

"_Nya_, Fuji, I'm really sorry about yesterday! I shouldn't have been angry at you when you were concerned about me…sorry, _nya_?"

Outwardly, Fuji beamed up at his friend in a sign of forgiveness, but inwardly, he was suspicious. Kikumaru did not usually apologise with such description, and especially not to Fuji – it was usually a "_nya_, sorry!" and an expectation that Fuji would understand. Someone had spoken to Kikumaru, and Fuji had a niggling feeling that he knew who…

"_Nya_," Kikumaru suddenly went on excitedly. "I met Oishi last evening, and you would never guess what I saw him doing! He was practicing tennis, _nya_! No wonder he's so good! So I told him that I'd play doubles with him until I find a way to defeat him! _Nya_, Fuji, do you think it'll work? Hmm?"

It was a complete change of heart on Kikumaru's part, and Fuji realised, with his own sinking heart, that their friendship would never be what he envisioned it to be. Sure, they could be the best of friends, but Fuji would never be able to confide in Kikumaru as he would have liked – for Oishi had begun to capture Kikumaru's attention in a way that would exclude all else.

Fuji would never blame Oishi for anything, but there were times when even he could not help but feel a twinge of jealousy whenever Kikumaru paired up with Oishi from that day onwards.

It was a day that would always stay in his memory – the day when the second little boy walked out of his life without so much as a goodbye.

* * *

After Kikumaru, Fuji had almost given up on finding that second little boy. More and more he felt that he was either reading too far into fiction, or his father was a fortune teller – for his apparent intelligence and genius was setting him apart from those around him, and isolating him just as the little boy was isolated in the jungle.

And then Tezuka Kunimitsu entered his life, and things began to change.

The act of Oishi and Kikumaru becoming a doubles pair necessarily meant that Tezuka and Fuji were somehow involved in the changes, since they were the former two's respective best friend. So it was that the four were often seen together during their tennis practice, and sometimes even during school hours, when Kikumaru would drag Fuji to meet Oishi in the cafeteria because he wanted to discuss some new formation. More often than not, Tezuka was with Oishi as well, and so the four would sit together, with Kikumaru doing most of the talking, Oishi often chiming in with a suggestion or a pointer, Fuji occasionally making a comment, and Tezuka just sitting quietly and listening to the conversation.

Every day they met, and every day it seemed to have everything to do with tennis and nothing personal – but throughout it all, Fuji was observing Tezuka. The littlest detail was noted and remembered, just so that he could attempt to break through that expressionless mask and understand the other boy.

Tezuka was a challenge to Fuji, and Fuji was never one to shy away from challenges.

And then one day, when the main Regulars team had gone to yet another school for a practice match and the rest were again given leave to have free practice, one sempai demanded that Fuji have a match with him.

It was the same sempai who had struck Tezuka's elbow in that fit of anger, and Fuji briefly wondered if anything would happen to him. But his face still smiled as he cheerfully accepted the match, and prepared to walk onto the court.

And then the sempai snarled. "I'll wipe that smile off your face soon, you impudent pup!" he growled before striding away angrily.

Fuji stood stock still for a moment, before picking up his tennis racket with a slight frown. Beside him, both Kikumaru and Oishi began to badger him not to play, but waving off their concern, he just smiled reassuringly at them. Then he turned to glance at Tezuka, who stood a little ways away.

The stoic boy met his glance squarely, and even after all his observations, Fuji still had no clue what his expression was saying. And so he shrugged, unconcerned, and went to meet his sempai on court.

Fuji defeated that sempai with ease – and to pay him back for the hurt he had caused to the Year Ones and especially to Tezuka, his last hit sent the tennis ball rolling on the tennis court without rebounding. It was Tsubame Gaishi.

Silence fell, and then the whispering started. Although Fuji continued to smile outwardly, inwardly he knew that he had just planted a few thousand more trees in the jungle around him. There was no mistaking the sense of awe, fear, jealousy – even trepidation – that could be heard in voices that muttered "tensai" around him. With his heart breaking within him, he turned to his friends, looked past Kikumaru's and Oishi's open-eyed stares of astonishment, and met Tezuka's gaze.

And there, in that boy's eyes, was the most obvious expression that he had ever made. They spoke of surprise, but they also spoke of satisfaction and excitement – the look of a hunter who had just discovered a worthy prey. The look of a challenger met and accepted.

Fuji grinned despite himself. His life had suddenly become far more interesting.

From that day on, it became a common occurrence for Fuji to be standing beside Tezuka, observing matches, or running beside Tezuka during their practices, or even playing against Tezuka, although this last was rare. The two seemed to have an unspoken agreement to avoid challenging each other during school hours, and when they had no choice, Fuji would never play seriously – and he would always lose. He never used his Triple Counters against Tezuka, although those who knew them suspected that they had already had a serious match in which nothing was held back, despite there being nothing of this indicated during their tennis practices.

The extent of Fuji's genius would remain unknown to all but Tezuka for a long time yet.

Two years passed, and their friendship grew stronger. It was Tezuka who sought Fuji out on the day his brother, Yuuta, left Seigaku without joining the tennis club. It was Fuji who, seeing the truth behind the slightly creased brows and the right hand almost casually gripping the left elbow, remained silently supportive of Tezuka's decision to drop out of the National Youth Tennis Competitions, even when others repeatedly questioned him of it. It was Tezuka who berated Fuji for not playing seriously during his matches and for not having the drive to win. And it was Fuji who questioned Tezuka outright on the state of his elbow and warned him of his possible defeat at the hands of Atobe.

But Tezuka was stubborn, and there were few things that could stop him from doing what he wanted, and so he played that long, famous, Singles One match against Atobe – and lost, hurting his shoulder in the process.

In his heart, Fuji knew that Tezuka would leave them to go for treatment – after all, he had no other choice. But when Ryuzaki-sensei announced that Tezuka would be leaving for Kyushuu _the next day_…

Even as the other Regulars around him gasped in dismay, Fuji could feel his heart shattering to pieces. For the third time, someone whom he acknowledged as a very good friend was leaving. The little boy was disappearing into the jungle without hesitation, and would not be back the next day. There would be no words of promise or reassurance, and there would be no healing of the gaping hole in his heart.

For the third time, Fuji Syusuke had failed to find his companion, and he could stand it no more. Perhaps it was now time for the first little boy to hide away in the jungle, listening to the bluebird singing him to sleep, drinking his tea of medicinal plants, playing with his animal friends, and hiding that dull aching of his heart; for Fuji knew that he could no longer stand it if his heart broke again.

But perhaps there was still a slightest bit of that childish hope left within him, for the next day, when the Regulars were to meet with Tezuka in the airport to send him off, Fuji, for some unfathomable reason, left without the rest and arrived at the airport early.

He didn't really know why himself. Perhaps there was something telling him to go; to speak with Tezuka privately before the others came. Whatever the case, the afternoon found him sitting beside his buchou in the airport lounge as they waited for the others to arrive.

For a while there was silence, and then Fuji spoke. "Things will certainly be different without you around, Tezuka."

Tezuka shook his head, slightly out of exasperation. "Fuji, that may be the case, but our goal has not changed. Seigaku should still be fixed on reaching the Nationals."

Fuji merely smiled, although it did not reach his eyes. "_Saa_…that's just like you, ne? Always looking to the Nationals…even as you leave you will take Yamato-buchou's charge onto your own shoulders…"

"Fuji," the other boy suddenly interrupted, and Fuji turned his questioning glance to meet Tezuka's proud gaze. "You make it sound as though I'm never coming back."

Silence reigned, during which Fuji did not even dare to breathe. After all, wasn't that what was happening? Wasn't Tezuka just walking out of his life without any indication that he had once been there? Wasn't that huge jungle with very very tall trees and very very large leaves – larger than a little boy's two hands placed side by side – suddenly growing much thicker and denser?

And then Tezuka spoke again, and Fuji's eyes widened at his words. "I'll be back for the Nationals, Fuji. So make sure that you and Oishi bring Seigaku there."

'I trust you,' came the message to Fuji's heart. 'And I promise you that I'll come back.'

And as the other third year regulars came rushing up to them, Fuji smiled a genuine smile.

'_Thank you.'_

* * *

_Epilogue_

The sun was just beginning to set in the horizon, casting a golden glow over Seishun Gakuen. In its tennis courts, two boys stood head to head, yelling fiercely at each other. The cries for them to stop went by unheeded as they glared at each other, hands clenching each other's shirt.

The door to the tennis courts creaked open, but no one really paid any attention. After all, Ryuzaki-sensei often came in and out as she pleased, and it would take a hurricane to tear Momoshiro and Kaido apart now.

And then a voice rang out, causing all other noise to cease and heads to whip up in disbelief. "Arguing in the courts? You two should know better! Give me 10 laps around the court now!"

Then Tezuka Kunimitsu, proudly wearing the Seigaku jersey, proceeded to glare at everyone else. "And why have the rest of you stopped practicing? Back to it! The Nationals are coming up, so everyone must put in their best!"

A resounding "hai, buchou!" arose, and soon the sounds of balls hitting the courts were heard again, but there was no denying the fevered excitement that was present after that.

A light chuckle sounded from his left, and Tezuka turned to see Fuji, standing there as he always had. "You haven't changed, ne Tezuka-buchou?" He suddenly turned and smiled up at him. "_Okaeri_."

There was the slightest pause, and then Tezuka returned a very small smile. "_Tadaima_."

They stood for a little while longer in silence before Fuji spoke again. "Ne, Tezuka…have you ever heard the story of a little boy who lived in a jungle?" At Tezuka's shake of his head, Fuji smiled again – but this time, it was a peaceful smile. "Let me tell it to you then, because the story is finally complete…"


End file.
